The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has threatened to impose “targeted sanctions” on individuals or groups obstructing Guinea-Bissau’s return to civilian rule following last month’s military coup.

The warning was issued on Sunday as regional leaders gathered in Abuja, Nigeria, for the bloc’s biannual summit, which was dominated by discussions on two recent coup attempts: a successful military takeover in Guinea-Bissau and a failed putsch in Benin.

“The authorities shall impose targeted sanctions on individuals or groups of persons that obstruct the transition process,” the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Omar Alieu Touray, told journalists at the conclusion of the summit.

Mr. Touray also disclosed that the ECOWAS peacekeeping force deployed in Guinea-Bissau since 2022 had been authorised to provide protection for all political leaders and national institutions in the country.

The twin disruptions of civilian rule in Guinea-Bissau last month and in Benin a week ago have unsettled the regional bloc, which condemned both developments during Sunday’s meeting.

In response to the attempted coup in Benin, Nigeria deployed fighter jets and troops, alongside soldiers from Côte d’Ivoire, to reinforce the civilian government. ECOWAS has since indicated that additional troops from Ghana and Sierra Leone are en route.

ECOWAS itself has grappled with a wave of coups between 2020 and 2023 in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger, all of which remain under military rule.

Although Sunday’s summit was convened before the two most recent coup attempts, both featured prominently on the agenda, alongside preparations for Guinea’s December 28 elections. Guinea’s junta leader, Col. Mamady Doumbouya, is contesting the polls despite an earlier pledge not to do so, while exiled opposition leader and former prime minister, Mr. Cellou Dalein Diallo, has been barred from participating.

Nevertheless, Mr. Touray said ECOWAS regarded Guinea’s elections as “significant progress” in the country’s transition process. When asked whether the vote would be credible, he added: “We hope that the elections will be credible, transparent and fair.”

Regional security, particularly in the Sahel, also featured prominently in discussions. Jihadist groups continue to wage insurgencies in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, all three of which have withdrawn from ECOWAS under junta rule and formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

Last week, Mr. Touray called for dialogue with the AES on shared security challenges as violence continues to spread southwards.

“No border can insulate us from violence,” Sierra Leonean President Julius Bio, who currently holds ECOWAS’s rotating chairmanship, said at the summit.

Heads of state from Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, both suspended from ECOWAS following their military takeovers, were absent from the meeting. President Bola Tinubu did not attend and was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Beyond military coups, ECOWAS leaders also raised concerns about democratic backsliding within civilian governments. In October, Côte d’Ivoire re-elected President Alassane Ouattara to a fourth term in an election in which several opposition candidates were barred.